1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioning apparatus capable of setting a swing range of a blow condition changing device such as a swing louver or the like for changing a blow condition of a blow range, a blow position, a blow direction, a blow angle, a blow region, the blown air amount or the like of air conditioned blown air, to an optimum swing range in accordance with an cooling load such as a solar radiation amount, a solar radiation direction or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
One type of known vehicle air conditioning apparatus has a blow condition changing device having a deflecting plate for changing a blow direction of air conditioned blown air blown from a center face blow outlet as well as a side face blow outlet.
Further, as a conventional technology, there has been disclosed a blow condition changing device (first related art: for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. JP-B2-7-102775) in which when air conditioning cooling load is temporarily increased by influence of a solar radiation amount or the like, a swing range of a deflecting plate is narrowed to concentrate a cooled wind in a certain area, and a swing cycle of the deflecting plate is proportionally shortened such that the cooled wind is blown as if it is fanned vehemently by a fan.
Further, as another conventional technology, there has been disclosed a blow condition changing device (second related art: for example, Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. JP-Y2-4-2086) in which solar radiation direction signals from two solar radiation sensors provided on left and right sides in a vehicle compartment and louver position signals from position detecting switches for detecting left and right directions of center louvers are inputted, and a swing speed of the center louver on the side of presence of solar radiation is retarded than a swing speed of the center louver on a side of absence of solar radiation in accordance with a solar radiation direction.
However, according to the blow condition changing device of the first related art, when the swing range of the deflecting plate is narrowed, the swing cycle of the deflecting plate is shortened and accordingly, blow directions of the cooled wind blown from the center face blow outlet and the side face blow outlet are frequently changed. It may cause a problem that such operation is annoying and unpleasant for a passenger in a vehicle. Furthermore, according to the blow condition changing device of the first prior art, regardless of the swing range of the deflecting plate, the swing speed of the deflecting plate is maintained constant. Therefore, the narrower the swing range of the deflecting plate, the more vehemently the movement of the deflecting plate is changed, and accordingly, it may cause a problem that the operation is annoying depending on a reflecting light angle, and unpleasant feeling is brought about to the passenger in the vehicle. Particularly, the operation is not preferable to a high class vehicle which highly probably installs with a wind direction changing device. Furthermore, when air conditioning cooling load is high, the deflecting plate is vehemently reciprocated at a predetermined location and the durability of a device for driving the deflecting plate is lessened.
Further, when the swing range of the deflecting plated is widened in accordance with lowering of air conditioning cooling load, in order to provide an agreeable air distribution amount, swinging to as far as a contiguous air conditioning zone becomes necessary, for example, independent control performance between an air conditioning zone for the driver seat side and an air conditioning zone for the passenger seat side is lessened. Further, when the swing range of the deflecting plate is widened, for example, uniformly in left and right direction centering on a direction to front seat passengers, a lot of time is required to obtain sufficient blown air amount for the rear seat passengers, and unpleasant feeling is brought about to the rear seat passengers at an initial stage of the air conditioning.
Meanwhile, according to the blow condition changing device of the second prior art, the swing speed of the center louver is controlled in accordance with the direction of the solar radiation which is incident on the inside of the vehicle compartment. However, when the solar radiation is incident on the passenger of the vehicle from a side of the vehicle, the passenger of the vehicle feels hot and a comfortable feeling is lessened if the air conditioned blown air is blown from the center louver to the passenger of the vehicle.